


the mythology of you and me

by cyberelfexe



Category: Kirby (Video Games), Kirby - All Media Types
Genre: Found Family, Gen, Kirby Lore, Kirby Star Allies, Kirby Star Allies Spoilers, Post-Kirby Star Allies, They/Them Pronouns for Kirby (Kirby), but able to speak a bit, but i have my own ideas for her personality, family stuff, is kirby lore, kirby's just a kiddo still, listen i'm stuck inside during a snowstorm and all i can think about, poached galaxia from the anime, sometimes a family is uh, totally self-indulgent, whatever these clowns are
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-19 02:01:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29499972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyberelfexe/pseuds/cyberelfexe
Summary: Hey, the ending to Star Allies was kind of scary. What was that anyways?
Relationships: Bandana Waddle Dee & Kirby, King Dedede & Kirby, King Dedede & Meta Knight, Kirby & Meta Knight, Kirby (Kirby) & Everyone
Comments: 23
Kudos: 56





	1. apples and swords

Bandana Dee waited, perfectly poised in the rafters of the castle hall. His majesty had held a meeting today with Meta Knight, and this would be his only chance for the foreseeable future. Down the hall he could hear a great, wooden door creak open and the unmistakable “tnk tnk” of the knight’s sabatons. Bandana Dee drew back his spear, and felt a bead of sweat form on his brow. Meta Knight was now in his line of sight, thirty feet away, twenty five, twenty, fifteen. Bandana Dee sat coiled tightly, until the knight was directly under him, and flung the spear downwards with all his might, aimed for the right corner of his deep purple cape. 

Meta Knight was ready. As the spear whistled past the back of his head, the knight had already grasped the corner of his cape, whipping it with ease out of the weapon’s path. The spear cemented itself harmlessly into the stone floor. Bandana groaned in frustration and dropped heavily to the ground from his perch above as Meta Knight turned to face him. 

“Sloppy,” the knight’s deep voice belied his short stature as he regarded Bandana Dee, “Next time try checking that you’re not visible from the peripheral of your targets’ entry point. I could spot you without even looking up. Weren’t you supposed to be training to do better than that?”

Bandana Dee felt his face grow warm, and grasped the spear next to him, knuckles turning white. “I’m still working on stealth! And besides!” He wrenched the spear out of the ground and spun it to point at the knight. “I have a bone to pick with you!”

Meta Knight tilted his head, “Oh? What’s on your mind?”

Bandana was taken aback by his easy acceptance, and tried not to let it show on his face. “W-Well, I was playing with Kirby the other day,” he rummaged through his bandana, and pulled out a tightly rolled piece of construction paper, “And they drew...this.” He stretched out his hand as the knight took the paper and unfurled it. 

Even from behind the mask, Bandana Dee could tell that Meta Knight was troubled by the contents of the crayon drawing. It was a simple landscape, with a few figures Meta Knight could recognize despite the child’s simple depiction. Scrawled in black with a red, angry eye floated Dark Matter, staring down two battling knights-one hot pink with horns and great, angel wings, and the other was donned in purple and blue, his yellow eyes furrowed in anger. To the side was a small, pink circle, with blue eyes and a frown, an orange butterfly perched on their head. In the middle, however, was a drawing that commanded the most attention. A purple circle, filled with loops of various colors, and marked with the same frowning features as the small pink figure. Meta Knight made a thoughtful noise, and looked back up at Bandana Dee. 

“When was this?”

“Just earlier this week. They didn’t say anything about it, and they didn’t notice me swipe it. I think that whole thing from a few months ago and the Jambastions and that entire...de-...debuncle.”

“Debacle.”

“Yeah, that,” Bandana Dee waved off the correction and steeled himself to look Meta Knight in the eye, “I think you should talk to Kirby.”

“I spoke with Kirby just the other day. They seemed well.” He rested his hand on Galaxia’s handle and turned to leave, “Children often draw pictures to process their thoughts, however trivial. Good day, Bandana Dee.”

“W-wait!”, the waddle dee dashed ahead to block him, throwing his hands up in an effort to halt him further.“Kirby’s older now! They’re speaking in full sentences! They’ve done so much for everyone, and they don’t even know who they are!”

Meta Knight tensed his grasp on his weapon and drew in his shoulders, inhaling sharply. He stood still for a moment, as Bandana refused to back down. The knight turned to the window of the hall, the late afternoon light casting the pair in a warm orange glow. He tilted his head, as if listening to a faraway song. Bandana Dee lowered his arms. “Sir knight…?”

He released the breath he was holding, relaxed his shoulders and turned to face Bandana Dee once more. A sound escaped from his mask like he was preparing to speak, but before he could get anything out he whipped his cape around him, disappearing to a point. 

Bandana Dee dashed to the space where he had been, glancing around in the hopes that Meta Knight hadn’t gone far. But the knight was gone, and Bandana was alone. He slumped his shoulders, and began trudging towards King Dedede’s throne room to relay the news.

-

On a hill overlooking the great castle, a mass of purple and blue discomfort appeared where there had been none, the only herald to his arrival a small displacement of air and a group of startled birds. Meta Knight appeared from behind his cape and rubbed his temples. The final light of the setting sun was a stark contrast to the dimness of the castle. Meta Knight unsheathed the sword Galaxia from its hiding place within his dimensional cape. The weapon chimed, her voice cutting through the knight’s mind like soft bells.

_ That wasn’t your finest social interaction, kiddo.  _

The last few rays of daylight gave the weapon a magnificent gleam, especially the large ruby cabochon to which Meta Knight directed his words. “So you heard. I wasn’t expecting... whatever that was.”

She laughed lightly.  _ Wasn’t expecting a friend to ask you for help? That seemed like a pretty reasonable request to me. _

“Tch.” The knight plopped down on the grass, still warm from the day. “I suppose.” 

_ Kirby is getting older. You and I are the last ones who know anything about anything to do with them.  _

“That’s not entirely true,” he took a corner of his cape and worked at a perceived spot on the sword. Galaxia could hear the humor in his voice, even if the mask concealed his smile, “there’s always Galacta Knight.”

She laughed once more.  _ Ah, you’ve got jokes now! Maybe we could get that Magolor to write a lesson plan.  _

“Please. That clown knows less than nothing. Trying to keep silent during his pontificating on Halcandra was an exercise in restraint.” 

_ So the plan is to just let Kirby go on wondering?  _

“No ma’am”, the knight tried to recover from her admonishment, “the plan is to wait until they can ask of their own accord. They’re a child. Bandana Dee was just overly concerned.”

_ Until they can ask the perpetually glowering, giant sword-wielding, never-there, teleporting dark knight of gloom and doom, “Hey, you look like me, the genocidal pink lance-wielding angel looks like me and that giant world-consuming god thing looks like me-” _

He threw up his hands, “The giant world-consuming god thing that they killed? And all the other insanely powerful beings they’ve taken on before exiting infancy? And you think they’re afraid of me?”

_ Not afraid, intimidated. Let me see that drawing.  _

He grumbled as he reached into his cape and drew out the paper, holding it up with reluctance for Galaxia to see. “Behold.”

_ Hmm. They really captured your eyes, along with the rest of their rogues gallery here.  _

The knight flipped the page and examined the drawing once more. “They’re happy now. They have friends that care about them. They can sleep and eat and play all day. There doesn’t need to be some world-decimating event dictating their life,” he rolled it up again, “I’ve already made enough mistakes trying to rear them from the sidelines. Besides, if anyone should tell them, it's you.”

_ Which isn’t possible, and isn’t true. And you weren’t “rearing” anyone. You and I both know you spent our first few years on Dreamland shielding your own pride. If you explain where you’re coming from a bit, it’ll help prepare them the next time a cosmic force bearing our attributes comes to consume time. Or worse.  _

Meta Knight leaned back and considered the brightening stars as the pink fled from the night sky. 

_ They love you, you know. You’re their family. _

He turned to face the sword, her ruby casting a faint glow on his mask. “Alright. If you think it to be best.” 

The two sat in silence, content, allowing the night sky to form above them.

_ And you have to tell their little orange friend. _

Meta Knight sat up, startled. “What? No. Bandana Dee? No. Why?”

_ He’s worried about his friend, and has been through just as much. He deserves to know as well. _

He laid back and closed his eyes, “Fine, fine.”

_ And the penguin- _

With one swift action, Meta Knight whipped her out of the ground and back into the cape before she could finish speaking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading this far! this is my first published fanfiction, and I was spurred by a snowstorm and pain meds. usually I don't like too extensive lore into more surreal works like kirby, but I couldn't help writing down the little bedtime story I work through before I go to sleep, haha. I may do a bit more fiddling with the tags and summary, and the next chapter'll be longer. I'm just feeling out ao3 right now! feel free to contact me on twitter at @cyberelfexe ! i like kirby (duh) , mecha anime, horror, and all sorts of stuff! comments and stuff welcome!


	2. a series of morningtime visits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Looks like it's going to be a busy morning in Dream Land! Kirby practices their reading skills while Bandana Dee obtains a souvenir. King Dedede flexes his royal status and Meta Knight explains how doors work.

The next morning, across town, a pink puff shuffled through their kitchen, humming a discordant tune. Tuesday was a good day to have pancakes, and Tuesday it was

Now, Kirby had a vague idea of how a pancake was made, but their knowledge began and ended somewhere around eggs and butter. Maybe milk was in there somewhere.  
They rummaged around the kitchen, adding to the mess that had already taken up a near permanent residence of the space. Kirby quickly found that even if they knew how to make pancakes, they were lacking the majority of ingredients needed.  
Kirby sighed, closed the cabinet and assessed the situation. Maybe they could clean?  


A quick “TOK” interrupted this line of thinking, and Kirby was secretly grateful for the distraction. They dashed to the front of the tiny stone house, pushing aside clutter, and wrenched open the front door with a bright smile. “Good morn-!”  
Bandana Dee stood before them, brandishing a short dagger.  
“Bandee!” Kirby shouted.

The orange boy blinked in surprise, then turned to the object in his hand.  
“Oh!”, he cried, suddenly aware of his proximity to a sharper weapon than usual, “it’s not what it looks like!” The waddle dee waved the knife as he protested, which didn’t add to his case.

“Wh-why a knife!” Kirby pointed.

“It was stuck to your door! It was holding up this!” the Dee held up an envelope sealed with a grandiose wax ‘M’. He flipped it and considered the item “Bet I can guess who it's from.”

“Gotta be Meta Knight!” Kirby excitedly took the letter from Bandana and popped the envelope open. Inside was one neatly folded slip of paper; marked in a refined, but legible script.

“Oh, Kirby, this is perfect! ” Bandana Dee chirped with joy as he pointed at the writing, “It’s a great chance for you to practice reading.”  
“Poyo,” Kirby sighed, reverting to their verbal standby after glancing over the amount of letters on the page. Meta Knight had likely taken great care to ensure Kirby would be able to read its contents, but it was definitely going to be a challenge at their current level.  
Bandana grasped his friends hands and cheered, shaking the puff up and down as they bounced on their heels, “You can do it, you can do it!”  
Kirby laughed brightly and felt their resolve strengthen. “Alright, Bandee!” They proclaimed as they ruffled the paper, squared their shoulders, and inhaled. Bandana Dee’s eyes shined with pride.  
“D-duh-ddeaurr, K-kerb-eee, Iiii o-h-hopuh, t-t-thes llletterr, ff-finuhds-“ They looked back up at Bandana Dee cautiously, then back at the page after a thumbs-up of encouragement. “-y-you wwell-“

“Oh give me that, you great big gumball.”

An unmistakable voice boomed from above. Kirby and Bandana Dee lifted their heads upwards in unison. On the roof sat King Dedede, looming over the pair like the bird he was.  
“Your majesty!”, shouted a startled Banana Dee. The pair of friends separated in Kirby’s doorway as the king dropped down between them.  
“What are you doing here?”  
“I just noticed every ol’ body was coming on down to Kirby’s this morning and I didn’t wanna miss out! Lemme see that letter!” Dedede snatched the paper from Kirby’s hands, eliciting a soft “poy!” in protest. “And give me that knife!” He swiped the dagger from Bandana’s paw and stuffed it into his robe.

He squinted closely at the paper, his giant mitts crumpling the edges in the throes of absolute concentration as he scanned its contents. He shot up quickly upon reaching the end.  
“Bandana Waddle Dee!”  
“Y-yessir!” the boy snapped to attention.  
“Orate this to me,” the king stuck out the page to his vassal, unable to make eye contact, “Can’t read my knight’s chicken scratch.”  
Bandana slid his gaze over to Kirby and was met only with an earnest look of eagerness. He sighed and tried to not look too long at the slight red tint of embarrassment that had cast itself over his liege’s beak. He took the letter and cleared his throat.

“Dear Kirby of the Stars,  


I hope this message finds you well. The time has come for you to understand the meaning behind your presence on Popstar, as well as our history. Meet me tomorrow evening at the Fountain of Dreams. I do not wish to duel you, but come prepared with any questions you may have.  


Yours,  
Meta Knight

P.S. As His Majesty King Dedede and Bandana Waddle Dee have almost certainly caught wind of this, please inform them that they are not invited.

P.P.S. Clean your room."

“What does he mean, not invited?!” bellowed Dedede.  
“Meta Knight...took my advice!”, Bandana Dee looked as if he might weep with joy. “He took my thoughts into consideration!” The two chattered away to themselves as Kirby let this information sink in. Usually a request like this from Meta Knight was exciting. They loved an opportunity for a good-natured spar and a bit of the distant knight’s time. And of course the idea that someone as cool and powerful as him could be the same kind of creature as themselves filled Kirby with excitement. Many afternoons had been spent daydreaming about wings.  
But ever since their little crews run-in with Void Termina and the Jambastions, the vague nature of their link weighed a bit more heavy on their thoughts. Kirby’s mind turned to Void Termina’s great, transient maw, transforming it’s horrible image into the same simple face they saw in the mirror each day, the same one that hid behind Meta Knight’s mask. And that wasn’t to mention when it shifted to-

“Kirbs?”  
Bandana Dee’s voice jolted them out of their thoughts.  
“You good little buddy?”  
Kirby looked up to their friend’s faces. Any annoyance or adoration had been wiped away, replaced with concern.  
“Y-yeah!” They bucked up once more and put on a brave face. “I was just, you know. Thinking about it.”  
Dedede crossed his arms and tilted up his beak in indignation. “Me too! I’ve known Meta Knight for aaaaaages and he ain’t told me much!” He stomped once, huffing, and whipped out his hammer. “I’m gonna have a talk with my head knight! You two: continue doing...whatever you were doing!”

And with that, he turned on his heel and stormed off in the general direction of the Halberd’s hangar.

Alone again, Bandana Dee and Kirby turned to each other once more.  
“Sorry, Kirby. I didn’t know he had followed me.” He blushed, and scratched the back of his head, “His majesty has been a bit bored lately...”  
Kirby giggled, thankful for the duos banter, “To be honest, I’m kind of glad both of you were here.”  
Bandana Dee looked over the paper once more. “It’s almost like he knew we’d find out.”  
“Did you tell him to?”  
Bandana Dee started, “To what?”  
"To talk to me!”  
The waddle dee turned red once more. “I...may have suggested he check in on you. In passing. Just at the castle, you know. Just mentioned you seemed a bit down.”  
“You’re not a very good liar, Bandee,” Kirby couldn’t contain their smile as they gave their friend a gentle shove, “but I'm okay.”  
Bandana Dee laughed and considered the paper in their hands. “Hey Kirby, do you think I could keep this?”  
“Sure!” Kirby chirped, then thought and tilted their head “but why?”  
“Well…” Bandana Dee looked down at his feet and flipped the paper around to show them the series of flowery loops at the bottom of the page, “he signed it…”  
“You see him almost every day, Bandee.”  
“Yeah but. He’s cool.” Kirby shook their head in mock disagreement. “If you say so....but! Do you think we could use the castle kitchen to make pancakes?”  
Bandana Dee looked past Kirby’s shoulder and into their little house. “Shouldn’t you clean your room? Like Meta Knight said?”  
They looked back and oversaw the state of their room. Spurred on by the contents of the letter they felt a rush of churlishness, and swung back around to walk past Bandana, face lifted high. “No! He’s not my mom.”

Bandana Dee didn’t move from his spot. “He’s a little bit your mom.”

Kirby slowed, their resolve faltering. “Then...then I’ll do it later!”

They stopped and turned after realizing Bandana remained at the open door.

A cool breeze blew. The two made eye contact.

“Maybejustrealfast”, was all Bandana Dee could make out as Kirby rushed past and into the house.

Bandana Dee cast a quick glance over the clear sky and dashed in after them. “I’ll help!”

* * *

“Listen up, Meta Knight! I’ve got a bone to pick with you!” The great king of Dream Land pounded on the hangars’ front door.

“So that's where Bandana Dee learned that phrase.” Meta Knight opined to no one in particular as he flipped through a logbook.

On the ground floor, various members of the Meta Knights milled around with their daily tasks, despite the constant pleas of the giant penguin bleating outside.

“Shall we let him in sir? He’s going to put a dent in the barn door, and we just replaced the fool thing last month,” shouted a mace knight up to their leader’s spartan loft office.

Meta Knight kept his eyes on the log. Dust motes floated lazily around him, only made visible by the late morning sun leaking in through the window. The same light cast a perfect gleam on the Halberd, the massive battle ship that took up the majority of the hangar. It had been polished with utmost care and was the focus of many of the workers duties. The incessant yelling and banging of the regal tantrum occuring outside jostled an axe knight re-painting the hull of the ship, sending a bucket of paint spattering down the side of the ship.

Meta Knight sighed, stood up and unfurled his wings from their hiding place within his cape. Below, a few underlings peeked up to see their leader glide down effortlessly from his loft.

He padded over to the large steel door and slid it open just in time to receive Dedede-who had thrown his weight and expected something to stop him. Instead, he tumbled harmlessly to the floor. Everyone saw.

“Oof,” he puffed out.

Meta Knight sighed once more and stood up slightly straighter. “Presenting, His Most Benevolent Majesty, King Dedede of Dream Land.”

The Meta-Knights gave a few half hearted salutes and vocal recognition of the monarch in the room. Someone sneezed. Someone else blessed them. 

Dedede shuffled to his feet and dusted himself off. “You need to get that door checked, Meta. I was banging on it from here to hell and it didn’t budge! And I don’t think you or anybody else in here heard a thing! Now what if there had been an emergency?”  
“It slides, sire.”  
Dedede blanched. “I knew that”, he lied.

The king held his head high and surveyed the hangar as he strode over to the metal stairwell that led to Meta Knight’s office and waltzed up the steps. The knight followed closely after, opting to use his wings.

Dedede snatched the candy jar adorning the desk, the only notable decor in the building aside from a few pieces of construction paper behind the knights desk. The bird quickly shoved a mitt inside and stole a small caramel as he lounged in the chair opposite Meta Knight’s. “Aw. Lookit that,” he stated with his mouth full and gestured toward the crude drawings behind the desk. “Now those are sweet. Kirby draw those for ya?”

Meta Knight slid elegantly into his chair and turned it towards the drawings. “Mostly.” He pointed at a grouping of papers that depicted a pink blob and a blue blob holding something like swords, a sunny ocean, Galaxia. “Bandana Dee surprised me with this one recently,” he said, pointing to a rather technical looking drawing of the Halberd against a sunset. “They’re both very talented,” the knight turned towards his liege and folded his hands, letting a mild combination of pride and mirth seep into his words.

“Mmph. They're gettin big is what they are.” Dedede provided, his mouth full.

“Yes, yes. As children do.”

The pair sat in silence for a few moments while Dedede snacked away. The knight organized and re-organized papers on his desk. His patience grew thin as his beloved candy jar grew lighter. Dedede merely stared him down.

Their silent battle continued until only about a quarter of the candy remained.  
“Listen, Dedede-“  
“Now Meta Knight, haven’t we known each other forever and a day?”  
“If this is about whatever Bandana Waddle Dee was trying to discuss-“  
The king sat the candy jar back down with a thunk, his mouth still full. “Is that who got talking to you? That kid’s always in all sorts of business. Oh, by the way,” he reached into his robe, pulled out the dagger and stuck it into the desk. “You dropped this.” “I see.” Meta Knight ignored the attack on his furniture. “I wonder who he gets it from.”  
“I’m just wondering why the change of heart! I thought we agreed that anything before that Nightmare mess was moot!”  
Meta Knight tipped the candy jar back to assess the damage. “Yes. Between you and I. Kirby is old enough now to comprehend the circumstances of their coming here.”  
“But what about uuuusss, Meta?” Dedede leaned over the desk and clutched at his chest dramatically, “I thought we were a team!”

The knight stood and turned to a cupboard, rummaging through its contents as he recalled their first meeting. It had looked a lot like the scene before him now-Dedede on his knees, grasping a shard of the Star Rod and begging for help. There was something coming, something big, and Dedede had been powerless to stop it. And while the threat hadn’t been what Meta Knight had thought it to be, it had led him to Kirby, and eventually, a home here in Dream Land. He had squandered this gift once, Meta thought as he grabbed a surplus bag of candy. He wasn’t going to do it again. The knight’s exasperation with the king before him slowly dissipated.

He thought of Galaxia’s words from the day before, and wondered if it was only Kirby she was speaking of when she had mentioned family.

“We are a team,” the knight emphasized as he opened the bag, “and if Kirby wants to tell you afterward, that can be their decision. I’ve decided telling this to Kirby first -and in private- is just something important to me.”

Dedede switched tactics and held his chin in his mitts, grinning. “Well why dontcha just do a practice run on me then!” 

The look Meta Knight cast over his shoulder was enough to make Dedede lean back and grumble. He refilled the jar and resealed the lid (but not before pocketing a saltwater taffy for himself). The two stared each other down once more.

After several moments filled only by the sound of the workers below, Dedede threw his hands up and stood to make his way to the stairs. “Alright, alright. But I better hear it from your mouth eventually, you hear me?” Meta Knight followed behind, still holding the jar of candy. He didn’t answer.

The pair walked down the steps as King Dedede prattled on about this and that. They reached the door and the king hesitated, gesturing for Meta Knight to prove the mechanics of the door once again. He stepped ahead and did just that as he suppressed a chuckle.  
“Thank you for visiting, Your Majesty. It really was good to see you.” He considered the candy jar a moment before holding it out to the monarch. “Here. Thank you for understanding my intentions.”  


Dedede’s eyes widened in surprise as he took the jar. “Well...thank you for telling me! We all know you don’t have the best track record for communication.” He shoved it into his obi, allowing the very top to stick out slightly. Before exiting the building he turned to the knight once more “We still on for chess Thursday?”  
“Of course,” he lied.  
“Great! See ya then, pal.” Humming, the king stepped out of the hangar and the knight closed the door.

Meta Knight released the tension he suddenly realized he was holding in his jaw. He tried to give a name to the feeling he had in the pit of his stomach and found that he couldn’t. This was going to be more difficult than he had previously thought.

The door swung open with a hard thwack.

“HA! I got it!”

Meta Knight grabbed the handle and slid it past Dedede’s triumphant face, taking care to fasten the lock this time.

Or maybe not that difficult.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey again!  
> tried to go ahead and get a longer word count this time-i really hope their characters show in their interactions! i think kirby has the weakest ~voice~ so far, but hopefully i can flesh them out a bit more in the next chapter. i think that's usually a challenge ppl have when writing dialogue for the kirbs. also i'm very, very bad at chapter titles and summaries. also ao3 formatting makes me want to run in traffic.  
> i'll go ahead and drop my two main kirby fanwork favs here. their influence is likely to seep in, buuuut i think my little brain theories and character readings stand separate enough: 
> 
> radiantseraphina/ Lady_Arrowwood's stories are fantastic, her characterization and backstories are all fun and high fantasy, and integrate the anime really well. it seems like she's dropped off the internet a bit though, i wish her well!
> 
> courtesycalling on tumblr's kirby comics are sparse and haunting. i think they perfectly capture the background tones of the series, without coming off as edgy or tryhard or cutesy. i recommend going through their kirby tag and especially recommend reading their star allies 1 year anniversary comic and "butterfly". they also write kirby's childish dialogue in a way that makes me think of like. a real kid lol. truly sublime stuff there. 
> 
> thanks for reading this far again! i love feedback, so please feel free to leave a comment!


	3. stars over dream land

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a kingdom where dreams are so important, it's vital to get a good night's rest.

Kirby strutted home, happy. Their whole day had been spent with Bandana Dee. After making a game of rapidly cleaning the tiny house (“Can’t I just inhale the broom and use clean?” “That’s cheating!”) the two had raced over to Castle Dedede for lunch. After convincing a few of the Waddle Dee’s on duty to spare some ingredients and kitchen space, the pair managed to whip up something closer to crepes than pancakes. Kirby had to be cut off by the head cook after their third (absolutely massive) helping. The rest of the afternoon was spent playing, occupied only with whatever their imaginations could come up with and trying to keep out from underfoot of the servants on duty. Though he would never admit it-or simply couldn’t see it-Bandana Dee definitely held a special place in the heart of the king since he had tagged along on his trip to Ripple Star, and often found himself with more free time than the others. Despite this, the rest of the castle Waddle Dee’s held no contempt: Bandana Dee more than made up for any perceived favoritism by keeping the king busy and out of the hair of the castle’s daily machinations. Besides: he was the youngest of the Waddle Dees and his good-natured enthusiasm always lit up the castle-especially when Kirby joined in. 

Kirby’s peacetime presence at Castle Dedede had also been a source of relief for the servants, despite the child’s tendency to consume any snack within sight. Since the king had decided that Kirby was better treated as an ally than an enemy, his Majesty had eased up both in his rule and his personality. The entirety of Dream Land was better for it.

A late afternoon nap in Bandana Dee’s sunlit quarters had been the perfect way to top off their playdate. Kirby had completely forgotten about Meta Knight’s communication until their home came into view. Their steps grew a little less sure, and the lighthearted feeling the day had given them began to wane as they reached for the door handle. Walking in, the house felt empty for the first time since it’s construction. 

It’s single room was perfectly suited for the little puff. The people of the nearby village (and a few castle Dees) had built it for them as thanks for defeating Nightmare years before. Inside, on its only shelf, laid a few of Kirby’s few possessions: their Crystal Shard medal (if they looked at it too long they would be reminded of their friend Ribbon, and their cheeks would grow uncomfortably warm); their helmet and goggles (sometimes they would put them on and pretend to be piloting the Robobot Armor once more); and finally, a wooden practice sword, gifted to them by Meta Knight to practice in their off time. 

Kirby picked it up and gave a few swings without bothering to inhale it. They sighed and placed it back on its spot. They liked to imagine themselves alongside Meta Knight, wielding a grand sword of their own, wings spread wide against a clear sky. Kirby wasn’t quite sure what exactly made Meta Knight...well, a knight, but a secret part of them hoped that he wouldn’t expect them to follow in his footsteps. Being a knight seemed stuffy and busy. Meta Knight hardly ever had any fun. And Galacta Knight just seemed. Mad. How would they ever find time to play with their friends if they were always off doing knightly things, like commanding a ship, and coming to King Dedede’s every beck and call?

Kirby plopped on their bed, face first. Being a knight didn’t seem very fun after some thought. But what was the alternative? 

The horrible screech of Void Termina cried out in Kirby’s mind, unbidden.

“Poyo!”, they gasped. They hopped up and ran to switch on the lights, heart racing.

That was the last thing they wanted to be. Violent, screaming. Unloved. An infant weapon for a shouting man. Kirby couldn't explain why or how they knew, but that creature had been in an indescribable pain. And on its birthday, of all days! 

Kirby’s eyes began to water. They carefully avoided the mirror by the door. Maybe there was a good reason Meta Knight hid his face. Any reminder of a being like that was bound to be disconcerting. 

How must he feel when he looked at Kirby? 

The child wiped off the tear that had made its way down their cheek and padded back to bed, sniffling. 

_“Come prepared with any questions you may have”,_ the letter had said.

Well, they thought as they tucked themselves in, there’s one. 

-

Bandana Dee swept the front doorsteps of the castle and waited for his liege. Dusk had draped itself over Dream Land, and the warm candle light from the front hall silhouetted the child as he dutifully worked. He paused intermittently to glance up, afraid he would miss the king coming up the hill. The steps had been clean for some time when the roly penguin waddled up the pathway, occupied with the object in his hands.

The boy saluted and stood to attention as the king slowly made his way up the steps. “Good evening, your majesty!”

King Dedede paused and mumbled something in response. 

“What was that, sire?”

“I said, what would you say is Meta Knight’s faaaaavorite thing in the whole world?”

Bandana Dee didn’t miss a beat. “Galaxia?”

The king thought. “Well. Besides that.”

Bandana Dee hummed thoughtfully. “His mask?”

Dedede shook his head, “ ‘sides that.”

Bandana Dee thought a moment more, casting a glance at the candy jar in Dedede’s mitts. “His….candy jar?”

The king considered it. “Hmm...I’m thinkin’ you may be right there, Bandy-dee.”

Bandana Dee rose up on his tiptoes to examine the (now empty) jar. “Is that it? He let you have it?” 

Dedede lifted it up and scrutinized it just out of Bandana Dee’s reach. “Hmm…” He turned on his heel and into the castle without another word, lost in thought. Passing Waddle Dees hailed him and were only greeted with mumbling or a vague gesture. 

“K-King Dedede!” Bandana Dee protested and followed after, but to no avail. He knew better than to try and interfere when the Great King of Dream Land was experiencing a Thought Process. He sighed as he pulled the great doors of the castle shut, thankful that Dedede had at least had the good sense to wander on home before it got too late. 

The rest of the evening passed without incident, and Bandana Dee was in bed before long. His pillows were fluffed, his plushies surrounded him on the bed, and he was perfectly worn out his day spent playing with Kirby. There was no thought in his mind of King Dedede’s odd behavior before, or Meta Knight’s letter (except maybe to smile quietly with pride at the thought that the great knight had actually listened to him) and his eyelids quickly grew heavier and heavier…

BANG BANG BANG

He shot up out of bed, pushies tumbling all around him.

“Bandana Dee!” shouted the unmistakable voice of the king, “Get out here, I just figured it out!”

Bandana scrambled out from under the covers and stumbled towards the door, grabbing his spear on the way. He swung the door open to find the penguin, clad in his pyjamas and clutching the empty candy jar, “I’ve figured it out!” 

He pushed past the waddle dee as Bandana struggled to comprehend what exactly was happening. The boy leaned out of his doorway and swung his head up and down the halls in search of whatever danger may have brought Dedede to his room in the middle of the night. 

Behind him, Dedede flipped on the lights. Bandana didn’t even let his eyes adjust before swerving back to question the king. “Wh-whats going on!”

King Dedede rushed to his vassal, shoving the empty jar in his face. “This, boy! This! I’ve figured it out!”

“Figured _what_ out!”

“Meta Knight is leaving! And he’s taking Kirby with him!”

Bandana Dee let this information register. “Huh?”

“That’s why he gave me his candy jar! He wanted me to have it because he’s leaving! Tomorrow he’s gonna tell Kirby where they came from and they’re gonna _leave_ _Popstar!_ ”

Dedede’s face was painted with worry, something Bandana Dee wasn’t used to seeing. Bandana Dee tried to keep a level head as his eyes threatened to well with tears at the mere prospect of Dedede’s words. “Your majesty! That’s ridiculous, Kirby would never leave Popstar behind!” Bandana Dee shut the door behind him, ensuring anyone outside wouldn’t hear their shouting as panic seeped into his voice, “A-and neither would Meta Knight! They’re our friends! What would make you even think that!”

“B-because…” King Dedede considered the jar in his mitts.

“Did Meta Knight tell you something?”

Dedede looked like a child who realized he had just accidentally told someone a secret. “N-no, I just thought of it,” he fiddled with the lid and huffed. “Meta Knight and I go way, way back, so I can tell when he’s planning something.”

Bandana Dee sighed and placed his spear back in his spot before turning to his liege once more. 

“But why would Meta Knight wanna take Kirby off of Popstar? It doesn’t make any sense.”

Dedede looked down at his feet and mumbled. 

“Sire?”

“I said, he’s afraid.”

Bandana Dee paused. “Of what?”

“Something big. Something real nasty and from the same place as them.”

The waddle dee considered Void Termina and Galacta Knight, then Dark Matter and Nightmare and Marx and-

“What? What could be nastier than what we’ve all gone up against before?” his voice edged into shrill territory. 

The king looked down at the child and grinned, all worry gone from his face. 

“No clue. But I know when and where Meta Knight’s gonna tell Kirbs all about it.”

Bandana Dee groaned and turned on one heel back towards bed. Their plans for the next day were already set in stone.

-

Across the valley, Meta Knight considered his cape. Its deep color gleamed in the low candlelight, its magical qualities suggested only by the unnatural shimmer of its inner lining. 

_You’ve really grown into that thing, you know. It used to be so big!_

Meta Knight dropped the cape and mumbled in embarrassment. He turned towards Galaxia She was propped against the desk, and for a second the knight thought he could see her true form, leaning nonchalantly. He walked past her and hung the cape off of a simple coat rack by the door of his quarters, as he did every night. The air between the knight and the weapon hung heavy and odd. 

_Meta, come on. I know when you’re not telling me something._

This was true. Any previous attempts at keeping his plans from Galaxia hadn’t ended well-but any time he openly went against her judgment resulted in disaster. It was better to just keep her in the dark a while longer. 

“I simply worry how Kirby will handle tomorrow. It’s a heavy story for a child to hold.”

_I think they can take it. It’s far, far more than I was able to give you at their age._

“You gave me more than enough, and look how I turned out. Perfectly fine.” 

_You sleep with your mask five inches away from your face and talk to a sword._

Meta Knight mumbled something again and turned out the light before crawling into bed, carefully turning away from the door and window before removing his mask and placing it on the pillow next to his. 

_You pilot a giant ship with your face on it. Your best friend is a penguin who thinks he’s a king and who knows just how many cavities you’re harboring-_

“Good night, my lady.”

The sword chimed a familiar laugh, her gem faintly glowing.

_Sweet dreams, Meta Knight._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been almost a month!! sorry it took so long to get back on this, I've been so caught up with schoolwork-I only have a month and a half left in my master's program, phew. this chapter was also a bit difficult to write, despite its length-its the last little bit before the crux of the story and there was more I had to get set up than I initially thought. I also realized dedede is the only character I haven't had much of a narrative for. that's because he has no thoughts. (jk obviously)  
> thanks for reading and let me know what you guys think!


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